Troy DreieriTunes 4.9 with PodcastingDiscovering and enjoying podcasts is now as simple as shopping for music. If you're already using iTunes to manage your music, you can go online immediately and browse for interesting shows. If you're using a different music organizer, this might tempt you to switch.

Podcast settings are universally applied. Some popular podcasts are apparently suffering a bit from the weight of iTunes' considerable audience size and are becoming difficult to download.

Bottom Line

Discovering and enjoying podcasts is now as simple as shopping for music. If you're already using iTunes to manage your music, you can go online immediately and browse for interesting shows. If you're using a different music organizer, this might tempt you to switch.

Podcastingthe ability to time-shift and download your favorite radio programs (NPR has been a pioneer here) and subscribe to a multitude of homegrown audioblogs over the Internethas, despite a grab bag of free tools, inconsistent feed-management styles, and a hodgepodge of largely disparate content, grown rapidly over the last 12 months. Now Apple gives podcasting a huge nudge into the mainstream by blending innovative podcast download and management features into the latest release of its widely distributed iTunes music download and management software. This integration is a boon for podcast consumers who, up to now, had to choose from a number of adroit, yet standalone, podcast-download software options, including iPodder and PodderX. But integration is not the only reason we liked this iTunes update. Apple also makes a couple of smart choices, both on the client application and the iTunes music store, that will help users find and manage podcasts.

To help people discover podcasts, Apple has created a podcast directory that can be accessed from the iTunes Music Store, so that users can search by browsing through categorized lists. While Apple's directory features content from big-name providers like Disney and National Public Radio, the bulk is from the kind of small-time do-it-yourselfers who first built up podcasting. The directory is light years ahead of what you'll find with other podcasting tools, which like iPodder typically offer text-only lists to sort through.

Apple's directory had 3,000 podcasts at launch. While some programs were miscategorized and others' descriptions were sketchy, Apple appears to be polishing the area rapidly. New podcasters can submit their shows via a link on the directory. Apple only links to the podcast files; it does not host them. A company representative said Apple will not link to pornographic or illegal content, and shows with adult content will be marked with an "Explicit" label. (While there's no written rule, we doubt you'll see any Macintosh-secrets podcasts listed.)

To receive a podcast, simply click the Subscribe button on the show's directory page, and it will download to your iTunes library. All podcasts are currently free. Apple has built helpful podcast controls into iTunes that let you set how many episodes of each podcasts you'd like to have and how often it should look for new content. It even deletes old ones automatically, a feature we wish competitors would replicate. We were not happy to discover that these settings apply to all podcasts universally. It's a choice that could frustrate power users who want all the episodes of some podcasts and only the current one of others. Some competing podcasting utilities like NetNewsWires, which handles podcast management and more, offer more granular control than iTunesletting you set preferences for each show individuallyand can pass files automatically to iTunes or other music organizers.

Subscriptions are listed in a new podcast directory in your iTunes library, and new content is helpfully marked with a blue circle. A title graphic and program description downloads with most podcast streams. Apple makes it easy to download old episodes; simply click the triangle icon to the left of each podcast subscription to see a list of previous episodes.

Apple also built a little something for podcast authors: It has created a useful and unique chapter feature, which podcasters can use by downloading Apple's Chapter Tool beta software. With it, online broadcasters can create chapters within a podcast so that listeners can quickly jump to a different point. These chapters are displayed in a pull-down menu at the top of iTunes. Few podcasts use the feature currently, but you can see it on the iTunes New Music Tuesday and Podfinder podcasts.

We experienced problems downloading some popular podcasts, such as the Al Franken Show and Wired News, often getting an error instead of the correct file. An Apple rep suggested that these programs might suddenly be too popular for the host servers, which could turn off after a certain amount of downloading. Since Apple doesn't host any of the actual podcast files, it's safe to assume that the content servers are showing some strain as iTunes' large installed base of users discovers podcasts and begins downloading in previously unseen numbers.

Transferring podcasts to an iPod is simple, as iTunes' controls let you set exactly which podcasts you want to transfer. After users update their iPod's software (www.apple.com/ipod/download/) they'll see all their podcasts listed in a new podcast folder. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell which podcasts are new on an iPod. This is an issue regardless of which podcast-management software you use, though we do wish Apple had addressed it with its own podcast tools.

Apple has created an innovative podcast download and management solution that easily outstrips its competitors in visibility, and adds some much-needed innovation to boot. The subscription controls are somewhat sloppily implemented, but the benefits of an integrated system and the ability to delete older podcast episodes easily outweigh these negatives. We still think Musicmatch Jukebox 10 is overall the better music manager, and it remains our Editors' Choice, with its powerful user-pleasing features, but iTunes is significantly improved with this release.

iTunes 4.9 with Podcasting

excellent

Bottom Line: Discovering and enjoying podcasts is now as simple as shopping for music. If you're already using iTunes to manage your music, you can go online immediately and browse for interesting shows. If you're using a different music organizer, this might tempt you to switch.

Read More

About the Author

Troy Dreier is a technology writer and editor based in Jersey City, NJ. He’s the editor of OnlineVideo.net, senior associate editor for StreamingMedia.com, and a former staff editor for PC Magazine. He’s @tdreier on Twitter.

iTunes 4.9 with Podcasting

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.